After a one-year hiatus, Harwood Union girls’ cross country qualified as a team to the elite New England Cross Country Championships for the 23rd time. Harwood girls finished an outstanding fifth place in the elite high school meet in 2021.
“The team that qualified for the New England’s this year was much different than the team that ran in 2021. Only one of our four finishers this year was a senior (Rowan Clough). Rowan (226th place) had a great race among a competitive field. She finished just three seconds from her personal best. It was an amazing effort. It was a tight pack of very competitive runners. There was a lot of pushing, shoving and physical contact during the race,” said team coach John Kerrigan.
“Who says cross country isn’t a contact sport” said Chris Haraldsen, father of Heidi Haraldsen Harwood’s lead runner who placed 186.
“Rowan fought her way up in the pack and passed several runners from Connecticut and Rhode Island within just a few strides of the finish. I am very proud of her efforts” said veteran coach Kerrigan.
It was “PR or ER” for Pippa Diller, he added. The Harwood sophomore had a great race (232) gaining a personal record time by over 20 seconds. Harwood’s lone freshman finisher Harmony Devoe (249) gained valuable experience.
“I am excited about returning next year said the first-year varsity runner.
The race was won by Ruth White of Orono, Maine (17:12). White is ranked among the top 50 female high school runners in the U.S. The first Vermont finisher was Alice Kredell of CVU (10th)
The Champlain Valley girls lived up to pre-meet expectations and dominated the elite race winning the New England title after an amazing first thru fifth finish at the Vermont State meet held on October 27.
Coach Kerrigan and his staff thanked everyone that supported Harwood cross country this fall. The veteran head coach hopes to return for his 46th season in 2024.
